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Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The Plan

A storm was brewing on the horizon, foreboding clouds filled the sky and the wind was loud and so ferocious I left my camera behind for fear of getting sand in the lens. The Sea, however, was a picture of calm and serenity, the result of an offshore wind. There was not a single white cap out there. Barely a ripple. It was such an odd scene and one I felt compelled to capture, albeit on my phone.

Things around here are a bit the same. We're chugging along fairly smoothly on the surface, but there is a flurry of activity going on in the background. It's an odd feeling and I needed to document it so I can look back and remember this moment - the one where a dream was finally put into a realistic plan and the plan was given to the "powers at be" to decide whether or not to give the dream some wings.

We have been thinking about what to do with our property ever since we bought it in 2006. The idea was always to be able to earn a living from the farm, to build something from nothing that we could call our own. Something that would be an asset to the local area as well as providing us with a lifestyle and work that we are passionate about.

Many ideas have come and gone over the last 7 years. Discussions have stalled as each new baby joins the family, just as they should, and discussions ended completely when we left the farm and lived in Sydney for 18 months. However, at some point you have to bite the bullet and in the past 16 months since we've been back there has been some very serious thought put into it. We toyed around with romantic notions of Cottages and B&B's nestled among Vineyards. There were also months that went into researching the ins and outs of various crops - Lavender, Saffron and at the risk of sounding like a drug lord, Poppies. Tasmania is one of the few places in the world where it is legal to grow Opium Poppies for the pharmaceutical industry. At the end of the day, it had to be something that was so exciting to us that the scary amount of hard work required to make it happen was worth it.

So after 7 years, we finally have plans for a Tourism Development. We live in a Wine Region along one of the major tourist routes so we kept coming back to a tourism venture. It makes perfect sense. There have been meetings with Local Council, engineers have been on site, horticulturists and landscape architects have been consulted and reports have been done by traffic surveyors. Most importantly, advice from smart people in the tourism industry has been sought. Plans have been drawn up by the Architect and they are sitting here in my hot little hand. The Development Application will be finalised and submitted in 3 weeks and then I can tell you specifically what it is. It is very exciting.

Until then, we sit in this odd place of finally having a concrete plan but not knowing whether it will even get to first base. And then if Local Council give us the green light there will still be the big task of raising capital and then the lengthy construction time. The official opening would probably be 2 years from now. That's a long time to be living in an anxious little bubble with all the obstacles and ups and downs that will come along the way. It may not even get off the ground at all. There may be huge disappointment. So, for the next few months I will just continue chugging along as best I can, going about my day and looking after the kids while the fate of the dream rests with others.

45 comments
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Living the Dream! I look forward to hearing more about your tourism plans for the property - sounds very exciting. I hope your local Council give you a quick and painless approval. Two years will pass by quickly xx

Sounds exciting, but if working with your local council is anything like ours I wish you luck. Our council manages to deflate the balloon of hope either with a massive hat pin of a bang or slow little pinpricks. Then once they've done their bit we blow the balloon up and soar away with our dreams (in theory).

How completely and utterly exciting, Mel. Wow, I just love hearing about people's dreams gradually coming to fruition like this. All things that are worth it take time and effort and a little bit faith and courage. All the thought and planning you have put in to your venture will undoubtedly see your dream become a reality... and 2 years will just fly by. I look forward to following your journey, wherever it may take you. It reminds me of my Aunty who lives in Tassie and spent many years farming gypsophila (baby's breath) and all the hard work and planning she put into that. Awesome possibilities to explore and it sounds like you've done just that. Spectacular photos too by the way, eerily beautiful. Have a lovely week Mel xoxo

Your plan sounds very similar to one brewing here at home. It's exciting and scary at the same time. You are much further down the journey than us. So I'm sending a best of British over that calm water to you.

You sound very determined that this will happen, and I'm sure no matter what council says you will work through it all and your dream will come to life. Very exciting times for you and you've got me on tenderhooks wondering what is the plan! Wendy :)

Good luck with the tourism venture Mel! I work in the development industry (town planner specialising in heritage conservation) and I'd recommend you pop around to all adjoining property owners and show them your plans and business plan prior to lodging with Council. They'll be notified anyway as part of the planning application public notification process (all adjoining properties sharing a boundary with you will be sent a notification letter at the commencement of the advertising process). It's been my experience that when applicants discuss their plans and proposal up front with the neighbours before it is lodged at Council often seems to help smooth the way. Having neighbours who are supportive of your proposal is a big help in the process.Absolutely lovely photos as well, they remind me of the stunning seascapes by Tasmanian artist Michaye Boulter!

Firstly woohoo for you on the very exciting plans - no doubt it will be a fabulous adventure and a wonderful success! Secondly, and probably more importantly... I AM YOUR 200th member!!!! I popped my head in after seeing the super cute whales on Instagram and that 199 was poking its tongue out at me!! So... I'm thinking such a milestone as 200 members deserves some kind of acknowledgement - do I win a prize? A cup of coffee, baked goods? Do I get to wear a sash or get a pin? A plaque? A plant at the farm named after me? You don't have to answer now - lots of options to consider really - these things can't be rushed!! Let me know though - I'll be around :)

wonderful Mel! I love this post and it resonates so perfectly with where my hubby and I are at too! As we build our home, nestled in a hugely tourist-y town we are throwing around so many plans about turning our lifestyle into a business venture! We love to dream, but thankfully we are mostly cautious and grounded. We have ideas and hopefully like you, we can turn them into reality! Can't wait to hear more about it xx